Thai Coconut Shrimp

I have made a discovery in the last week.

Carbs. Are. Good.

Carbs make me happy. Carbs give me energy. Carbs help my brain process what you are saying to me quick enough for me to respond somewhat coherently.


Take away my carbs and life gets pretty bleak. Suddenly TV shows seem a bit sadder. I have a harder time concentrating on my books (gasp!), and I get a bit snappier.

Why do I know this? Because the very last three weeks of this crazy program I'm on has you do what's called "carb cycling." It basically consists of three days of very low carb days and then one high carb day. Essentially it's supposed to trick your metabolism and burn fat quickly. I'm one week in and have definitely noticed a difference, I'm starting to see lines and toning where I never have before, which is exciting, but it's been tough. While things like this might be okay to do short term I also recognize that it's probably not a good way to live consistently, at least not for me. If I've learned anything this last year, it's that balance really is the key, as well as finding happiness in food. Luckily I only have two weeks left and I'll be back to a balanced clean diet.

But, speaking of enjoying your food, you have got to try this shrimp dish. I served this to my friend who after finishing declared that she felt like she just ate at a restaurant. The sauce is my favorite part, it's rich and so flavorful, it's just delicious with the shrimp, veggies and noodles. If you can find them, I think this is best with whole wheat soba noodles, otherwise whole wheat spaghetti is just fine.



Thai Coconut Shrimp
Best of Clean Eating, by Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients

8 oz dry brown rice noodles, or pasta of your choice
2 cups broccoli florets
2/3 cup light coconut milk (shaken to combine)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons natural peanut butter with sea salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of Stevia, Splenda or sugar, or to taste
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 cup bean sprouts
24 medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed under cold running water

Directions

Bring two medium pots of water to a boil over high heat. In one pot, cook pasta according to package directions, then rinse with hot water to ensure pasta doesn't get sticky when left to stand. Fluff pasta with your fingers or a fork to further de-clump noodles, then set aside. In the second pot of boiling water, add broccoli, cover, turn heat down to ow and simmer for five minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, add coconut milk, tomato paste, peanut butter, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and lime juice. Use a fork or whisk to thoroughly combine.

Simmer coconut mixture, bell pepper and bean sprouts in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat for five minutes, stirring often to prevent clumping. Add shrimp and cook for another two minutes, then flip shrimp over and continue to cook for a final minute.

Toss noodles and broccoli with coconut-shrimp mixture and serve piping hot.

1/2 cup pasta, 6 shrimp, 1 cup veggies, 3 tablespoons sauce
338 cal, 9g fat, 48g carb, 6g fiber, 2.5g sugar, 20g prot

Tilapia Couscous Salad

Holy cow, what in the heck happened? I blink my eyes and practically a month goes by without a post. I blame the holidays. I also blame an awkward month of not quite knowing how to eat. Overall I think I did pretty well making it through the majority of the month without going crazy. I even hit my lowest weight so far (122 lbs!).

But then Christmas came...as well as cheese, and sugar and things wrapped in puff pastries. Needless to say, I definitely enjoyed myself, and I have a slightly expanded waistline to testify of this fact. No fretting though. Christmas only comes once a year and I have an entire year to make up for it, which I am more than looking forward to.



So to kick off our healthy eating for the New Year, I have a delicious and clean recipe for you. I wasn't sure if I was going to post this one because I'm not a fan of the bland, colorless picture. However, sometimes you have to forgive ugly food and have faith that it's still going to be a winner. This is as easy to make as it is delicious. It's also so bright and fresh, you'll feel healthier for having eaten it.



Tilapia and Couscous Salad
From The Best of Clean Eating

Ingredients

1 cup dry whole-grain coucous
olive oil cooking spray
1/2 lb tilapia fillets (4 small or 2 large, I used a bit more for protein) skin and bones removed
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
zest and juice of 1 lime
zest and juice of half lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoon dried parsley
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Cook couscous according to package directions.

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for one minute. Spritz with cooking spray and reduce heat to medium-high. Place tilapia in skillet and cook for two minutes per side. Remove tilapia and let cool for five minutes before flaking with fork.

In a large bowl, combine couscous, tilapia, carrots, celery, onion and bell pepper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together lime zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, oil, garlic and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper. Pour dressing over tilapia-couscous mixture and stir until well combined. Garnish with additional parsley, if desired. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator, covered, for up to one day.

Serves 6: 1 serving is 1 cup

Per Serving: 154cal, 3.5g fat, 21g carb, 4g fiber, 3g sugar, 11g protein

How was everyone's holidays? Any plans for the New Year?

Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema

If you ever go to Mission Beach in San Diego, there is a little Restaurant on the boardwalk called Roberto's. There you will find some of the freshest and best fish tacos you've ever sunk your teeth into. It's a highlight when we vacation there, and I definitely get my fill! Since then, it's been really hard to find a fish taco that I've liked as much as those, but these are definitely close! They're also quite a bit lighter.



What I like most about these tacos, besides the fact that they're crazy delicious, is how easy they are to make. The ingredients are all very accessible, most you will already have in your fridge or pantry, and if you don't want to fire up the grill, then you can roast the fish in the oven. I like to eat these while imagining that I'm sitting on the beach!



Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema

From Cooking Light December 2006



Ingredients

Crema:

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced



Tacos:

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets

Cooking spray

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cabbage (or use a bagged coleslaw mix)



Directions



Preheat oven to 425°.



To prepare crema, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.



To prepare tacos, combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish (don't be shy with it, get it good and coated). Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema.

Asian Shrimp, Mango and Avacado Slaw

Hello my friends, I've missed you! The month went so fast, but what a great month. Lots of relaxing, boating, swimming, playing and EATING. Spending all that time with family was so nice and we had a great time, but it also feels good to be back in the comfort and quiet of home.


I have to post this salad because it's what my mom and I ate the most when we were together. Cathy, who's got a great blog at Wives with Knives posted this a few months ago. I immediately bought the ingredients, absolutely loved it, and promptly sent my mom the recipe. Since then I'm fairly confident that her and my dad have enjoyed it at least ten times. We have tried the creamy dressing as well as the vinaigrette, and honestly they are both delicious. The only change we made was adding a bit of red pepper to the slaw, and a scoop of peanut butter to the dressing. The slaw lends itself to a lot of variations, like Cathy says, but guaranteed delicious. Check out the recipe here, and thank you Cathy!




And now a few pics of one of our best boating days. We combined a day at the lake with a my mom's birthday and it was a fabulous day. My entire family was there and we had an absolute blast. I never laugh as hard as I do when I'm with these people.

I love this shot, my husband, who really hasn't done a whole lot of waterskiing, has absolutely no fear. The very first time he got up he was catching air. He did have his fair share of wipeouts though, as you see here.

Taking a tube ride with our son. He's braver then I am, I caught him laughing during some moments that had me white knuckled.

Hanging out on the Big Mable with two of my brothers. Seriously the funniest people I know.

My little girl taking a swim. Her favorite part of the day was just being able to jump off the boat into the water.

Me and my guy.

My daughter and her grandma, the birthday girl.

My son and his cousin. Two of the best friends and worst enemies at the same time, you know how it is at that age, haha!

How has your summer been so far? What are you doing to beat this heat?

Homemade Tartar Sauce

I'm playing a little game right now, it's called, "I'm Not Going Grocery Shopping Until I've Managed To Use Up Most of the Food That Is Already In My Freezer Or Pantry."

And it's taking FOREVER!

I guess I'm just in a spring cleaning mode right now, but I'm having an increasingly harder time buying food when I have a ton of food, just not food that fits in my meal planning. So that's what we've been eating lately. And while on occasion I don't mind whipping up a box of Hamburger Helper (just finished the last box, thank you!), I just don't think I can take many more freezer or boxed meals.



The bonus to having frozen salmon burgers for dinner, is at least it lends itself to something homemade, which is why I happily whipped up this fantastic tartar sauce. It was really easy to put together, and since I apparently have a ton of random food to use up, it didn't require an extra trip to the store either. This is one of those things that you want to make a day or two in advance with time, the flavors just get stronger and more delicious. We all loved this tartar sauce, it's so tangy and perfect for all of your seafood needs.



Homemade Tartar Sauce
Adapted from Food.com

Ingredients

1 cup lowfat mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped sweet onions (less if you're not big on onion flavor)
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, or any preferred seasoning, seasoned salt would be good too
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon capers, chopped

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

2. It is best to make this about an hour before you plan to serve it so the flavors can blend.

Teriyaki Salmon with Mushrooms

Thanks for all of your sweet comments on my last post. It was a fun way to get to know a lot of you better too!

Every once and a while I find a theme in the foods I am eating and cooking for a period of time. Maybe a take a few weeks to roast just about everything I put in my mouth. Or I want to put eggs in everything. For a series of days I might even be looking for anything that might be slightly delicious doused in my favorite balsamic vinegar. And then I move on.

Lately I feel like I can't keep my fridge stocked full enough of mushrooms, specifically cremini. What is it about those lovely little fungi? I think it's their ability to soak up any flavor you introduce it to, while still adding a flair of it's own. They can be the real star of a dish, but also don't have a problem acting as a supporting role. I just love them.

So you can imagine how much I loved pairing them with this salmon dish. Sauteed with tangy teriyaki flavors and then laid on top of a nice rich fillet of salmon, it was a total party for my palate. And I got the recipe from...do I even need to tell you? Healthy, rich, flavorful, happy new year to me, and you!

Teriyaki Salmon with Mushrooms
From Fresh Food Fast by Cooking Light

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup low sodium teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 (8 oz) package presliced baby portobello mushrooms or creminis
4 (6-oz) skinless salmon fillets, about 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick

Directions

1. Combine first three ingredients in a small bowl; stir to dissolve sugar.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, and saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add 1/3 cup sherry mixture to mushrooms. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Spoon mushroom mixture into a bowl; set aside.

3. Heat pan over medium-high heat, add fillets. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned on all sides. Add mushrooms and remaining sherry mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes. Transfer fillets to a serving platter, and top with sauce and mushrooms.

Serves 4

Per Serving: 335 cal, 14.3g fat, 37.6g prot, 0.9g fiber,9.5g carb

What kind of food themes do you find yourself in?

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce

Back when I was getting to know my husband, the ever important question came up, "do you like shrimp?" His answer, which remains his answer still is "not unless it's been breaded and deep fat fried!" Not being one to fry things often, I resigned myself to a happy but shrimp-less life with my husband, crossing my fingers that his non-shrimp loving genes wouldn't be passed on to my kids. It was.

So you can imagine my joy in finding this recipe from Cooking Light (for those of you new to my blog, I'm in love with Cooking Light. If Cooking Light was a religion, I'd be their first follower.) Big fat shrimp, coated in a crunchy, sweet layer of coconut and panko, and skillet fried to a browned crispy perfection. They're accompanied by a sweet and HOT mango sauce. I think I used jalapenos instead of habaneros, I haven't quite reached that level of bravery when it comes to hot foods.

During these cold, post-holiday days of winter, give this tropical dish a try, it might give you that bit of hope that you need to get you through it!

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce
Cooking Light January 2010

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 teaspoon canola oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (12-ounce) can mango nectar
1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, unseeded
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:
28 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Cooking spray

Directions

1. To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add nectar and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Stir in juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.

2. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; discard shells.

3. Place coconut in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until finely chopped. Add panko; pulse to combine. Place coconut mixture in a shallow dish. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with 1 shrimp at a time, dredge shrimp in cornstarch, shaking off excess. Dip in egg whites; dredge in coconut mixture.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 7 shrimp to pan; coat tops of shrimp with cooking spray. Cook shrimp 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining oil and shrimp.

Serves 4

Scallops with Lemon-Basil Sauce

How hard to you guys work to make something that the whole family likes? I usually do my best to find things that are delicious, as well as family friendly, but then I find recipes like this. Yes, I'm the only one in my family that likes scallops. Yes, they are expensive. Yes, I am going to make them anyway and let my family fend for themselves.

Before you judge, we were going to have leftovers anyway, so c'mon, let a girl treat herself.

This was actually my first time making scallops, but after this dish, it will definitely not be my last. The trick is to not overcook them, or undercook them. I read once that if they have a nice spring to them when you press on them, they're done. I loved the freshness and simplicity of these scallops, such a bright and cheerful dish! I served this over a bed of angel hair that I tossed in butter and Parmesan cheese. Pure soft and velvety heaven.


Scallops with Lemon-Basil Sauce
By Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals, by Cooking Light (of course!)

Ingredients

1 large lemon
1 1/2 lbs large sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, divided
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Finely grate lemon rind, reserving 1/4 teaspoon. Squeeze lemon, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Pat scallops dry with paper towels.

2. Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper. Melt 2 tsp butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallops; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove scallops from pan; keep warm.

3. Add wine and reserved lemon juice to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of pan. Combine water and cornstarch; add to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add reserved lemon rind, remaining 1 tsp butter, remaining 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper, and basil. Remove from heat. Serve over scallops.

Serves 4: 5 oz scallops and 1 tablespoon sauce

Per Serving: 185 cal, 4g fat, 28.9g prot, 7g carb, 0.7g fiber

Points Per Serving: 4

Grilled Pesto Salmon-Orzo Salad

Have you ever tried a recipe and expected NOT to like it? Yeah well, I have. It's not that I pick a recipe and think "that looks disgusting! I'm gonna make it!" Usually it starts out looking good, fun, or adventurous, but as it all comes together in the kitchen, it becomes pretty apparent that this wasn't the dish for us. That's kind of how I felt walking into this one. It has all the makings of a delicious dish, but once all of the ingredients were bought and my sleeves were rolled up, I just wasn't feeling that confident.

I love it when my instincts are wrong, at least in this scenario. Not only did I love it, my slightly picky husband and really picky kids loved it. A hearty, yet fresh and light salad that is full of flavor and texture. I really loved the roasted sweet bites of cherry tomatoes, with the salty salmon and orzo, creamy beans and bitter arugula. Such a great blend of flavors. If you're looking for a break from all of the comfort foods of fall, I highly recommend this one!


Grilled Pesto Salmon-Orzo Salad
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 6 oz skinless salmon fillets
1/4 cup commercial pesto, divided
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 (1/2 inch thick) sweet onion slices
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
cooking spray
1 cup uncooked orzo
1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups firmly packed arugula
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Brush fish evenly with 2 tablespoons pesto; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush 1 tablespoon pesto over onion slices. Toss tomatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon pesto, and place on a 12-inch square of heavy-duty foil. Fold edges of foil up around tomatoes to form a bowl, keeping tomatoes in a single layer. (Do not completely enclose).

2. Place salmon, onion slices, and foil bowl with tomatoes on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 14 minutes, or until salmon is desired degree of doneness, onion is tender, and tomatoes begin to burst, turning salmon and onion after 7 minutes.

3. Cook Orzo according to package directions. Drain. Combine orzo, beans, arugula, and lemon juice in a large bowl.

4. Using a fork, gently break salmon into large chunks, and chop onion slices. Combine Orzo Salad with Arugula and White Beans, salmon, onion, tomatoes, and accumulated tomato juice. Toss gently; sprinkle with pepper. Serves 6

P.S. The Oatmeal, one of my favorite websites I visit for a laugh just came out with THIS new sketch. It's called Why I Don't Cook at Home. Something you probably can't relate to, but I imagine you'll get a kick out of it just the same!

Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia

Vacations are awesome, lots of relaxing, chatting with friends, staying up late, and eating, Eating, EATING. And not eating just any food, you're eating vacation food. I'm talking potato salad, french fries, cookies and brownies. All the Mexican food you can get your hands on, seeing as it's not so easy to get to in Philly. Lots of fast food and restaurant food, because who wants to cook, or DIET while on vacation? And it's fun...until you get home, when the last thing you want to see on this green earth is a hamburger.

So what do you do when you've just gotten home from vacation, and you're tired, and hungry and detoxing from a month of vacation-style eating? Enter tilapia from Cooking Light.

A quick trip to pick up some tilapia and limes and we were in business. One great thing about sea food is that it takes very little time to marinate and cook. Only fifteen minutes soaking in a sauce that is made of things you most likely already have, and fifteen to bake, and you have a fish that the whole family will hoover down. I could not believe how quickly both of my picky munchkins gobbled this up. My husband and I were also crazy about this dish, especially given that we aren't really that crazy about tilapia. But the flavor is wonderful and it's so healthy. You must give this a try! The recipe can be found here.

Farfalle with Salmon, Mint and Peas

Springtime is great, and after the winter we had, we needed a good spring! The trees are green, after being a magnificent pink, and the sun is actually starting to kiss my skin again, it's glorious!

A lot of wonderful words come to mind when I think about Spring, but particular word is clean. The dirt gets washed away by the rain, the air is fresh and alive, and people dejunk their homes, coining the phrase "spring cleaning". So it's only appropriate that the delicious food we eat in the spring should be equally fresh and clean, especially after the binging and hibernating we do in the winter!

This pasta to me was the epitome of a clean dish. I was thrilled to find the recipe after still having half of a beautiful salmon fillet leftover begging me to be used. There are very few ingredients, but the dish still has a lot of flavor and leaves your insides feeling happy and refreshed.

I'll post the recipe as it comes, but don't stress too much about how your salmon is prepared. If you already have a way you make it, go for it, just be sure it's delicious!


Farfalle with Salmon, Mint, and Peas
Great Food Fast

Ingredients

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 pound farfalle
1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 package frozen peas
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (parsley would be fine too)

Directions

1. IN a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the farfalle until al dente according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water; return the pasta to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, season the salmon with coarse salt and ground pepper; place in a large skillet. Add 1/4 cup water and the lemon zest and juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover; steam for 10 minutes.

3. Add the frozen peas; steam, covered, until the peas are tender and the salmon is opaque, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Transfer to the pot with the pasta. Add the butter and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Toss, gently flaking fish and adding reserved pasta water as desired. Serve immediately, sprinkled with more mint.

Tuna Casserole

Hello! How was everyone's weekend? If you're from the east chances are you spent a lot of time shoveling off your car! Talk about snow! We ended up spending our entire weekend inside with the family, which turned out to be really nice. Of course, it was also nice to get out of the house this morning and back to the gym!

Ever since we've been home from our Christmas vacation I've been working hard to use up a lot of the food that's been sitting in our deep freezer and pantry. For some reason this has lead me to making quite a few classic meals that I grew up on. Maybe it's convenient to what we have, or maybe I'm just a bit homesick, but either way it's been really enjoyable for the whole family. My "meat and potatoes" husband is especially enjoying it.

I'm not a huge tuna casserole fan, but I really love this recipe. I think because it's not too gloppy or creamy and it's got a great tangy flavor. I actually found this in a diabetic cookbook that I received as a gift after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes when I was pregnant. I think what really makes this recipe is the mustard and just the right amount of sour cream and mayo that holds it all together well, but still gives it shape. If you are at all a fan of tuna casserole, give this a try!

Tuna Casserole
Adapted from The Type 2 Diabetes Cookbook

Ingredients

2 cans water-packed tuna
6 ounces uncooked egg noodles
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup thawed green peas
2/3 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup lowfat mayo
3 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash Worcestershire, optional
dash hot sauce, optional
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Drain and flake tuna, set aside.

2. Cook and drain noodles according to directions.

3. Preheat oven to 350, combine noodles with tuna, celery, green onions and peas. Blend all remaining ingredients, except the cheese. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole pan and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serves 5: Serving size is 1 cup

Per Serving: 350cal, 15g fat, 18g prot, 20g carb

Points per Serving: (The recipe didn't have fiber, so I'm going to guess 2g fiber) 8points

Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? We had a wonderful time with friends this year, lots of food, and I'm still full! Now it's Monday and back to the grind, but luckily not for too long.

A few weeks ago Sara, Alissa and I got together again for another bloggy friend lunch. It's such a great way to explore new recipes and try new things, and of course, the company's not bad either! For our appetizer, Sara made these wonderful lettuce wraps that taste very similar to those of PF Chang's, delicious, keep your eye out for those!

And for the main course I made clam chowder. I made clam chowder for two reasons, one, I love it, and don't eat it often since it's not exactly diet friendly. Two, my husband does not like it, so I needed to take advantage of the opportunity to make it without hearing an hour's worth of belly-achin, hee hee! The recipe I found on food network is absolutely fool proof and SOO delicious. It only takes about a half hour to make too. I served the chowder in bread bowls. If you're going to serve soup in bread bowls, I strongly suggest that you serve a very thick chowder or chili, otherwise you'll probably have a very messy problem on your hands. The bread bowls were also very quick and easy to make. The only problem I had was getting the bottoms to brown completely, and eventually I just flipped them over to get the bottoms crispy and stable. When hollowing out the bowl, just take care not to take out too much center, otherwise it won't be able to hold up to the soup. But oh my gosh, it's so good. I loved scraping the bowl as I ate the soup to get a bit of both in every bite, it's the most filling thing you'll ever eat. Give this a try, you'll be surprised how easy it really is to make!

Clam Chowder
By Union Oyster House

Ingredients (I halved this for three people and still had a LOT leftover)

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
4 pounds fresh or frozen clams, shelled and diced (I used canned clams, it was delish)
1/4 pound salt pork, diced (I used bacon...oh yeah)
2 small onions, diced
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
10 cups clam juice
2 pints half-and-half
Salt and pepper
Dash hot pepper sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Bring the potatoes and the clam juice to the boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the clams and any of their liquid. Cook about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add the pork to a saute pan and cook over low heat until rendered. Add the onions and cook until transparent. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the flour and cook until slightly colored. Add a bit more flour if necessary if the mixture is too soft. Bring the clams, juice and potatoes back to the boil. Gradually stir in the cooked roux. Bring to a rolling boil to thicken. Stir continuously while cooking. Beat the half and half and add to the soup. It may not be necessary to use all the half-and-half; the soup should be thick. Adjust the seasoning and add a dash of hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce before serving

Bread Bowl
Found in Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees to 115
degrees)
1 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)
1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour
Cornmeal

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, sugar, eggs, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

2. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into eight pieces; shape each into a ball. Grease two baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place four balls 3 in. apart on each prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

3. For bread bowls, cut a thin slice off the top of bread. Hollow out bottom half, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use). Fill with chili, chowder or stew.

For dessert Alissa made her family's favorite chocolate meringue pie and chess pie. Be on the lookout for those, they were delicious, and the perfect way to finish off our lunch>

Shrimp Cesar Salad

I had been in a lunch rut for some time now. And as I've mentioned before, I really love my lunches. I finally threw this little salad together, and I've probably had it about five times since then, it's so good! There is absolutely no brain work that goes into it, sauteed shrimp, tossed Caesar salad and you're made in the shade. Have it for lunch and then have it four times more!

Shrimp Cesar Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw medium sized raw shrimp, shells and tails removed
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning, or favorite seafood seasoning
1 cup spring mix, or Caesar salad mix, or chopped romaine lettuce
2-3 teaspoons creamy Caesar dressing
2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
pine nuts (optional)

Directions

Toss lettuce mix, salad dressing, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts in a bowl. Place on plate. Saute shrimp in olive oil and seasoning until pink and fully cooked. Add to salad, get your Diet Coke on ice and enjoy your afternoon!

Grilled Halibut Fish Sandwiches wiith Tartar Sauce

Why hello there Mr. Halibut Sandwich. Look at you sitting there all smug. You know everyone wants you, with your delicious ciabatta bread, and homemade tartar sauce. You know that no one can deny the deliciousness of your perfectly seasoned and grilled fillet, it's simply not fair. I see you even have your little friend Diet Coke with you. Oh, you two are just plain old trouble aren't you.

Grilled Halibut Fish Sandwiches with Tartar Sauce
By Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh halibut, cut into 4 servings, 4 to 6 ounces each, 1-inch thick
Vegetable or olive oil, for drizzling
2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 lemon, juiced

Tartar sauce:(if you can, make this the day before, the flavors are much stronger)
1 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 dill or half-sour pickle, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
10 blades fresh chives, chopped or 2 thin scallions thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, juiced
Few drops cayenne pepper sauce
4 crusty rolls, split
1 large ripe tomato, sliced
4 leaves green leaf or Boston lettuce


Directions

Preheat nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron grill pan over medium high heat. Drizzle halibut pieces with oil, then season with crab boil seasoning, salt and pepper. Grill on a hot pan 4 or 5 minutes on each side.

Place melted butter in a small dish and add juice of 1/2 lemon.

Combine all ingredients for the tartar sauce in a small bowl.

Lightly toast buns on grill pan after fish is removed.

To assemble, brush bun bottoms and fish with lemon butter. Top fish with tomato and lettuce and slather the bun tops with tartar sauce, then serve.

Pan Seared Shrimp

Happy Monday to you all! I hope the summer is treating you very kindly!

I don't cook shrimp that often for two reasons. The first is because I'm the only one in my family who likes it, gosh! And the second is because for the longest time it has been intimidating to me. But in the last few months I've come to realize that it's really easy to make, especially when you use this recipe. The one thing I've learned about cooking shrimp is to be careful not to overcook it so that it doesn't come out rubbery. If you have any other shrimp-cooking tips, do share! I can't get enough, and my family will learn to like it by golly!

Pan Seared Shrimp
Slightly Adapted from Taste of Home, Healthy Cooking June/July 2009 ed.

Ingredients

1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup white wine, chicken broth or seafood stock
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning (I used McCormick, delish!)
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Directions

In a large skillet, saute shrimp and garlic in oil for 3 minutes. Add wine or stock and seasoning; cook and stir 3-5 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Sprinkle with parsley.

Sesame Orange Shrimp and Chicken Stir-Fry

I like stir-frys, but I have to be careful not to make them too much because I find I grow tired of them quickly. This particular stir-fry is one that I could eat often, it's very tasty and reminds me of the type of chicken and shrimp I would order for take out. It's packed with veggies and has a very flavorful sauce. I will caution that it doesn't make for the best leftovers, so if you don't plan to cook for a lot of people, you might want to halve this, it makes quite a bit.

And I realized that I have now posted two pictures of my son, but none of my little princess, so here is her debut. She's a hoot and always has something interesting to say!
Have a wonderful weekend ya'll!


Sesame Orange Shrimp and Chicken Stir Fry
Found in Cooking Light June 2009

Ingredients

SAUCE:
1 cup water
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used black, it was fine)
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

STIR-FRY
2 tablepoons olive oil
12 oz skinless-boneless chicken breasts, but into 1-inch pieces
2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup mushrooms halved
1 cup snowpeas trimmed
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp cooked and peeled (mine were raw, I just cooked them in the stir-fry and it was fine)
3 cups cooked rice

Directions

1. To prepare sauce, combine the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Set aside.

2. To prepare stir-fry, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, and stir-fry for 4 minutes until done. Remove chicken from pan, and keep warm. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add chopped broccoli and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to the pan; stir-fry for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp tender. Return chicken to pan, and stir in shrimp. Add sauce, bring to a boil. REduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Serves: 6 (1 cup chicken mixture and 1/2 cup rice)

Per Serving: 340 cal, 28g prot, 7.3g fat, 38g carb, 2.7g fiber, 142mg chol, 4.1mg iron, 864mg sod.

Points per Serving: 7

Pan Seared Tilapia with Almond Brown Butter and Snow Peas

For some reason seafood intimidates me a bit, so this year I really wanted to get to the point that I felt confident cooking with seafood. This dish was a great way to start. Tilapia is fairly inexpensive, so you don't feel as much pressure to make it perfect, plus I think it's a fairly forgiving meat, not difficult to cook. It's also very delicious and healthy. My whole family wolfed this meal down with not a single leftover to show for it!

Pan-Seared Tilapia with Almond Browned Butter and Snow Peas

From Favorite Family Dinners

Ingredients

3 cups pea pods, trimmed

4 4-5 oz skinless fresh tilapia fillets

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 tsp all purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup coarse chopped almonds

1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a large saucepan bring lightly salted water to boiling. Add pea pods. Cook for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, season one side of fish with salt and pepper; sprinkle with flour. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot (a drop of water should sizzle or roll) remove from heat and add olive oil, tilting pan to coat with oil. Return pan to heat and add fish, floured side up (if necessary cook fish a half at a time). Cook fish for 4 to 5 minutes, or until easy to remove with spatula.. gently turn fish and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Arrange peas on a serving platter, arrange fish on top of peas.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to skillet. When butter begins to melt, stir in almonds. Cook for 30-60 seconds or until butter is melted and nuts are lightly toasted (do not let butter burn). Spoon butter mixture over fish fillets. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4

Per Serving: 266 cal, 15g total fat, 71 mg chol, 210 mg sod, 7g carbs, 3 g fiber, 24g prot.

Points per serving: 6